Editorial Standards

1. Independence

• We do not earn affiliate commissions on any product reviewed on this site.
• We do not accept payment, samples-in-exchange-for-coverage, or sponsored content from supplement brands.
• Our category rankings and product scores cannot be purchased, negotiated, or influenced by advertisers.
• We purchase every product we analyze at retail, using our own funds — the same way a consumer would.

If any of this ever changes, we will disclose it plainly at the top of affected pages.

2. How we score products

Every product is scored from 0.0 to 10.0 using a fixed, four-dimension rubric. The same rubric is applied to every product in every category.

Score bands

• 9.0 – 10.0Exceptional. Clinically dosed across the board, transparent label, high-quality forms, fair price. Rare.
• 7.0 – 8.9Very good. Dosed correctly on most ingredients; minor gaps in form quality or value.
• 5.0 – 6.9Decent. Works for some users; meaningful shortcomings on dose, transparency, or both.
• 3.0 – 4.9Weak. Under-dosed, obscured by a proprietary blend, or overpriced for what's inside.
• 0.0 – 2.9Avoid. Major issues — likely under-dosed, misleadingly labeled, or overpriced to the point of being indefensible.

We do not round scores to make products look better or worse. A 6.4 stays a 6.4.

3. Our review process

Every published review follows the same five-step process:

1. Product acquisition. We purchase the product at retail.
2. Label audit. An analyst transcribes the full Supplement Facts panel — every ingredient, amount, and form.
3. Clinical evidence review. For each active ingredient, the analyst pulls the clinical literature (primarily PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and major peer-reviewed journals) to establish the dose range at which benefits have been demonstrated in humans.
4. Scoring. The rubric above is applied. Scores are calculated, not voted.
5. Medical review. Brian McDowell, RD, our Chief Medical Reviewer, personally reviews the finished analysis before publication. His review covers factual accuracy, clinical claims, safety flags, and alignment with current dietetic practice.

No review is published without Brian's sign-off.

4. Sources

We cite primary sources wherever possible:

• Clinical evidence: PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and major peer-reviewed journals (JAMA, The Lancet, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and others).
• Regulatory: FDA, EFSA, Health Canada, and the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.
• Reference institutions: The Linus Pauling Institute, university research centers, and peer-reviewed meta-analyses.

We do not cite other supplement review sites as evidence. If a claim is worth making, the underlying research is worth linking to directly.

5. Authorship and medical review

• Every published article carries a visible byline for its author or analyst.
• Every health-related article (product reviews, ingredient pages, comparisons, and category rankings) carries a "Medically reviewed by Brian McDowell, RD" line.
• Brian's full bio and role are published at /author/brian-mcdowell.
• Our broader editorial team is introduced on the About page.

6. Updates and freshness

• Every article shows a visible published date and last-updated date.
• Product reviews are revisited and, if needed, re-scored at least once every 12 months, or sooner if: the brand reformulates the product, new clinical evidence materially changes our assessment of a key ingredient, or a reader flags a meaningful issue we missed.
• Major revisions include a short changelog at the top of the page.

7. Corrections policy

We will get things wrong. When we do, we fix them — quickly and transparently.

• Spot an error? Email hello@whatsinit.co with the URL and the specific issue.
• We respond within five business days.
• Factual corrections are made immediately once verified. A correction notice is added to the page stating what changed and when.
• We do not quietly edit errors out of existence.

8. Conflicts of interest

If a reviewer or editor has a material personal connection to a product or brand being covered — employment, paid consulting, or family relationship — that reviewer is recused from covering the product and the conflict is disclosed on the page.

Brian McDowell does not hold paid consulting relationships or employment positions with any supplement brand covered on this site.

9. Reader safety

Supplement content is YMYL — "Your Money or Your Life" — content. We take that seriously.

• Every review notes known side effects, contraindications, and interactions where relevant.
• Every review includes a clear reminder that readers should consult their own licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any supplement regimen — especially during pregnancy, nursing, or while taking prescription medication.
• We never position supplements as substitutes for medical care.

See our Disclaimer for full terms.

10. AI use disclosure

11. Contact and accountability

• Editorial questions: hello@whatsinit.co
• Corrections: hello@whatsinit.co
• Chief Medical Reviewer: Brian McDowell, RD — bio

These standards are reviewed and updated at least annually. Last full review: April 2026.